Safety-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1. R. ADAMS ON.

SAFETY SWITCH.

No. 338,012. -Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 2 a ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. ADAMSON.

a I 1 INVENTOR: 4 l flag/M4 BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES ROBERT AD AMSON, OF

PATENT firme AUBURN, NE\V Y ORK.

SAFETY-SWiTC H.

BPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,012, dated March 16 1886.

Application filed October 9, 1885.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, ROBERT ADAMSON, of Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the construction of a mechanism whereby the switch-rails are antomatically moved into alignment with the rails of the main track by an approaching train, the object of the invention being to provide a safety-switch for trains passing on the main track; and to this end the invention consists of sliding blocks mounted to slide in inclined ways and connected by rods and chains with a chain-wheel which carries a pinion that engages with a gear-wheel, to the shaft of which the switch-lever is rigidly secured, and of certain other novel constructions and combinations to be hereinafter explained, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the switch and my improved operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view taken on line a; x of Fig. 1, showing the slide and a portion of the pilot of an engine approaching the switch. Fig. 3 is a view of the under side of the pilot of the engine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating in detail the construction of the block and inclined slide. Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of the switch-stand. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the switching-lever and its yielding roller-catch.

Fig. 7 is a view of the arrangement for a double switch. Fig. 8 is a view of the double pin-carrying attachment used with the double switch, and Fig. 9 is a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the general construction of the switch, A A represent the main line or track, and B B the cross-rails to the siding, which are reached by the switching-rails O 0. Two inclined ways, D D, are securely fastened to the ties in the center of the track beyond the ends of the switching-rails. A

dovetailed groove, a,-is formed in the upper Serial No. 179,407. (No model.)

inclined face of each of these ways D D, and in these grooves blocks E E are fitted to slide up and down, the construction of the way and said blocks being best shown in Fig. 4. The blocks E E are provided with eyes be and b 0, respectively, and to the eye I) of the block E there is attached a chain, d, which passes from the eye over a sheave, 0, carried by the block D, then along the center of the track to a sheave, f, which is secured to the heavy tie or timber R, supporting the ends of the rails AA and B B, thence to and partially around a chain-wheel, F, that is carried by the switch-stand G and back to a sheave, f, located near the sheavef, and on the eye 0 of the block E, the connection between the parts f and a being made by a rod, d, if desired.

A second chain, 9, is secured to the eye 22 of the block Eand passes over a sheave, c, placed in the way D to correspond with the sheave 0. After passing over the sheave e the chain 9 leads directly to the eyecof the block E, or the rod g may be substituted for part of the chain, if desired. The chain-wheel F is fast upon the vertical shaft h, which is mounted in the switch-stand G, which said shaft carries a pinion, H, that meshes with a gear, I, on the,

shaft K, to which the switching-lever N is rigidly secnred. The switch-bar O is connected to the gearwheel l by means of a rod, 0, which is pivotally connected to both the bar 0 and the gear I. A dog or catch, M, is pivotally connected to the under side of the pilot P and normally hangs below the pilot, as shown best in Fig. 2; but, if desired, this dog M may be raised above the bottom of the pilot by means of a chain, k, which leads over properly-arranged sheaves to a pull or lever located in the cab of the engine. Lugs m on the sides of the dog M engage with the pilot-frame and prevent the dog from projecting too far.

The operation is as follows: if atrain is approaching in the direction of the arrow marked 1, and the switch is set for the siding, as indicated, the dog M will strike the block E and move it to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This movement of the block E will draw the chain (2 in the direction of the arrow shown in connection therewith, and the chain-wheel F will consequently be revolved ICO in the direction of its arrow, carrying the pinthe rocker one of the pins may be brought ion H forward in the same direction, which movement of the pinion will move the gear I in the direction indicated, thus retracting the 5 rod and thereby drawing the switch-bar 0 over, to bring the switching-rails in conjunction with the main rails A A, thereby establishing the way for the train to pass on down the main line over the switch-rails. If the 1 3 train is approaching in the direction of the arrow No. 2, it will strike the block E, which,in moving down the slide or way D ,will retract the chain 9, and consequently draw down the block E, and the drawing down of the block I 5 E will move the switch-railsO O, as before described. The switch-lever N rides above a circular rack, n, which projects from one side of the switch-stand G, and on the inner face of this rack there are formed three circular 2c notches, o 12 0 located in substantially the relative positions shown. Upon the under side of the lever N there are two lugs, q ('1', formed with aperturesin which the shank 1' of a block, 8, rides. The block scarries a roller,

t, which is held against the rack 42 by a spiral 0 with and willhold the leverin position against any ordinary strain, but will not resist the strain to which the parts are subjected when the chain-wheel F is rotated by the movement of either of the blocks E E. Ordinarily,when

the main line is open for travel,the lever N isv locked in place by a pin, which is passed through the aperture w and a corresponding aperture, w, formed in the rack 12; but when the switch is turned to the side track this pin is not used and can be dropped in an outer hole in the lever, out of the way.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I illustrate a construction for use where there is a switch or siding on each side of the main track. In this case the switch-bar is forked at its end and provided with two sockets, J J, in which two connectingrods, 0 o, are arranged to slide or be held by pins, as will be explained. If the switchrails and rails B are in alignment, the rod 0 is secured within the socket J by means of a pin, 1', so that as the gear I is revolved in the direction of the arrow by the action of the pinion H the switching-rails O C will be drawn over in line with the main track, while if the 5 switchrails O G are in line with the side rails, B, the pin 3 will hold the rod 0 within the socket J, and as the gear is revolved the switch-rails will be forced back to theline of the main track. The pins '5 '6' are carried by a rocker, T, formed with a'handle, U, and centrally pivoted in a standard, V, fixed between the sockets J J, so that by simply turning into use tohold its bar, while the other will be disengaged to allow its bar to slide within the socket.

The various parts are so arranged that when the switch-rails are in line with the rails B B the blocks E E will be at the top of the ways D D; but when the main line is open-that is, when the switch-rails are in line with the rails A Athe blocks will be at the lower thrown out of engagement with the notches v 1) c 7 It consists of a hand or thumb lever, t, pivotally connected to the switch-lever and provided with a lever-arm which engages with a pin on the block 8, so that as thelever t is carried toward the lever N the block 8 will be depressed and the roller t relieved from engagement with the notch in which it rested.

The grooves in which the blocks E E are mounted are inclined, so that as the train advances the blocks will be carried below the level of the dog M. 1

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the switch-rails,

of a sliding block mounted in an inclined way,

a chain, and connectinggearing, substantially as described.

2. The-combinatiomwith a switch, of away,

D, a block, E, chain d, wheel F, pinion H, 1

gear I, rod 0, and bar 0, substantially as described. v

3. The-combination, with a switch, of the following elements: ways D D, blocks E E,

chains d and g, sheaves e e and f f, wheel F,

pinion H, gear I, rod 0, and bar O, substantially as set forth. I V g 4. The combination, with a switch, of the following-elements: way D, block E, chain (1, sheaves e f, wheel F,.pinion H, gear-wheel I, rod 0, and bar 0, all arranged to be operated by a dog, M, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the bar 0, formed with sockets J J, and the rods 0 0', leading to a' gear, I, of a rocker, T, carrying pinsi i, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination,with a switch, of a bar, 0, formed with sockets J J, rods 0 0, held by pins it", carried by a rocker, T, gear I, pinion H, wheel F, chain d, block E, and a way, D, substantially as set forth.

ROBERT ADAMSON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. ScHILLINc, B. M. WILooX. 

